Bound Trilogy: Bound: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Four

Pen took a seat next to a small wolf child who was maybe fourteen years of age and hyper for what the day would bring, and felt a smile resting on her face despite her head telling her to remain vigilant. However, her heart, the thing that never lied and reminded her to rely on her instincts above all else, told her a different story.

It told her these shifters were different from those with whom she lived. They were open, comforting and trustworthy. Especially Xenia. Something in Pen told her they could become dear friends, but she couldn't put her finger on why, or just what had sparked the idea in the first place.

The door to the adjoining room opened and the young fox who escorted them in bowed his head and saluted. Pen veered her gaze toward who had entered. Xenia walked into the room and with every stride she managed to emanate dominance, yet gentleness about herself. She was strong, yet something within Pen told her she was also kind, and perhaps very noble.

She led the same young woman Pen had seen with her that morning to a nearby chair and sat her down, kneeling at her feet. Pen didn't listen in on their conversation for privacy's sake, but it was the most endearing act she could call to mind. A dominant kneeling down in front of a submissive. She watched the way Xenia looked up at the woman, a woman who was most definitely acquiescent and so much smaller than her, with tender care. Like she was the finest commodity known to man and none would or could ever compare.

That's...love... Isn't it?

The small woman reached out and ran her thumb down Xenia's cheek, then kissed her forehead. She flitted her eyes up for a moment and met Pen's. Her gentleness never faded and the warmth it spread throughout the room felt like butter to fresh toast.

With one last look toward Xenia, the woman nodded and gave her a wink.

Xenia stood and made her way to the front of the room, a toothy grin taking over her features. "Good morrow, shifters and human. I have met you all at different times, but for the sake of being thorough, I am Xenia Zielinski. Rosnąco, which means ascending, First Vixen." She gestured toward the woman with whom she spoke prior and gave her a loving smile before glancing back towards the others. "This is Julia Dabrowski, the daughter of the current First Vixen. She is to be addressed as Daughter Dabrowski in your time here. One of the first things I must ask of you is that you respect us and our land while here. Care for them and they will care for you. Adhere to our customs and you will receive undying loyalty and respect.

"Now that we're done with that," Xenia rubbed her hands together in anticipation and Pen couldn't help but sit on the edge of her seat. Was this what excitement felt like? It'd been entirely too long since she'd felt anything like it to the point she couldn't even recall the sensation. "The next three weeks are going to be quite the thrill for you all. We have--"

"The Red Harvest!" The young wolf chimed in as she bounced in her seat.

Xenia beamed and walked over to her, patting her shoulder with pride. "That's very true, Yumi. It is the Red Harvest. Something that only happens once a generation. But I'm not sure the others know of it just yet, so both of us will have to reign in our joy for a moment."

"Okay!" Yumi exclaimed, then visibly tried to calm her incredibly infectious avidity and added in a whisper, "I mean, okay."

Xenia chuckled and another fox and a... A human? Pen marveled at the first sight of a human amongst the foxes, finally registering that Xenia had addressed one before. However, this human wasn't the one she'd pointed her greeting toward as he stood at the front of the classroom smiling ear to ear. Penelope didn't realize any humans lived with them and this created an even wider idea of inclusion. If a human could live among them and was not just visiting them, then why not an Aquatic...?